Microsoft Reminds Windows XP Users to Switch to Windows 8 as Deadline Nears

Microsoft is continuously reminding Windows XP users to upgrade to Windows 8 through its blog as deadline nears.

Since Microsoft announced its end of support for its operating system Windows XP, which will be on April 8, it never failed to remind users about it and offer them options. And as the software's expiration date nears, it has now resorted to using its blog site in encouraging XP's patrons to shift to Windows 8.

The company said in a blog post: "Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But now the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences.

"As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date."

Options and recommendations offered by the software giant include an upgrade to Windows 8 operating system. To do such, users can choose to upgrade their computers to support Windows 8, buy a Microsoft's Windows 8 installer, or buy a new PC that runs with a pre-installed Windows 8.

In an interview with Morning News USA, Microsoft's senior marketing communications manager Brandon LeBlanc reminded XP users though to manually save or backup all their files and data before making the upgrade because the process would not save data automatically. However, he apologetically informs users that Microsoft's cloud storage service SkyDrive does not support Windows XP, so it cannot be of any help in making backups.

If users opt to still use Windows XP, they will still receive anti-malware and security updates until July 2015, BBC News previously reported. Even so, it doesn't guarantee protection from hacks and viruses.